Relating One’s Dream

Relating One’s Dream

God’s Prophet, upon whom be peace, liked to sleep on his right side. He also
taught his companions when they go to bed to pray: “Lord, I seek refuge in
Thee from any disturbing dreams and from Satan’s chicanery whether
I am awake or in my sleep. Lord, protect me against the sufferings that
people will experience on the Day of Gathering.”
After the daybreak, God’s Prophet, upon whom be peace, used to ask his
companions if they had seen any dreams, and he did interpret their dreams for
them. It is reported that he also has said: “A dream will take effect according to
how it is interpreted.” God’s Prophet (uwbp) also said: “A dream sits on the wing
ofa {lying bird and will not take effect unless it is related to someone.” Therefore,
one should only tell his dream to a trustworthy person, a pious and a knowledgeable
person. He should not tell it to a jealous person, and he should not tell his
dream to a child, or a wife. It is related that God’s Prophet (uwbp) once said: “Tell
your dreams only to a beloved or a knowledgeable person.”Remember when Jacob
(uwbp) told his son Joseph: “My dear little son, do not tell your dream to
your brothren, lest they concoct a plot against thee, for satan is to man
an avowed enemy.” (Qur’an 12:5)
In relation to the earlier related saying of God’s Messenger (uwbp): “Glad
tidings are the only part of prophecies that will remain after me” which is said
to mean true dreams someone said: ”When a servant of God Almighty falls asleep
in the middle of the night during his prostration, God Almighty will say: ‘Look
at My servant, his soul is standing before Me, and his body is engaged in my
service.”’ Abi Al-Darda’ once said: ”When the servant falls asleep, his soul will
be brought before the Divine Throne. If one had gone to sleep abluted, then the
soul will be permitted to prostrate before its Lord. Otherwise, the soul will not
be permitted to prostrate.” Abi TharrAl-Ghafart once said: “My beloved advised
me never to neglect three things until I reach my death: 1- to fast three days from
every month; 2- to perform the pre-dawn <Fajr) prayers on time; and 3- never to
go to sleep without ablution.”
God Almighty has said in the Qur’an: “It is He Who takes back the souls
at night, then it is He Who gives them back at awakening, except for
those for whom death has come. He then takes back the latter and
returns the ones that are to remain in this world for a while.” (Qur’an 39:42).
God’s Messenger, upon whom be peace, has said: “People are asleep, andwhen
they die, they wake-up.” Describing sleep, he also said: “Sleeping is the little
brother of death.”
When someone told a dream to God’s Prophet (uwbp) he used to say: “God
willing, may your dream be blessed. May it be glad tidings you receive and
protection against evil. May this be good for us and bad for our enemy. All praises
be to God, Lord and Cherisher of all lives. Now, tell your dream.” In his tradition,
if one says to someone: “I saw a dream.” The listener should immediately say:
“God willing, may it be glad tidings.” (arb. Kh.air In-ShO. Allah).
People mostly went to wise shaikhs in their vicinity. Others travelled to
distant places to meet qualified interpreters and to receive the explanations and
meaning of their dreams. Even kings and rulers throughout the history of
mankind sought someone to interpret their dreams. Such interpretations were
used as medicine for one’s spiritual, physical (seeMedicine), or psychological illness,
or to amend the course of one’s decision. There is a special prayer in Islamic
traditions called s..alatul Istihhiirah, which solicits Divine guidance in one’s life
or for a specific and immediate need. According to Islamic traditions, such
guidance may come in many forms, including in a dream.
When intending to tell a dream, one should choose the early dawn hours or
immediately after sunrise. This will particularly help the interpreter whose
mind is mostlyclearer at that hour. God’s Prophet (uwbp) has said: “Special blessings
are given to my followers in the early hours ofthe day.” If one is truthful in his
life, he will see true dreams. If he lies, or if he likes to lie, his dream will lie to
him. However, ifhe lies but hates to do so, his dream then may be true to him.
One’s subconscious understanding in the dream is what counts. The dream
interpreter must work with it. Let’s suppose that one sees a snake and thinks
that it is a frog in the dream! Then the interpretation will be based on the
meaning of the frog. Similarly, if one sees a frog, and thinks that it is a snake
in his dream, then this is what counts in the interpretation of his dream.
Interpreting dreams is a process of analyzing the nature of things and their
opposing possibilities, connecting their roots, and assembling the fragments of
one’s thoughts to better understand his or her real condition.
In a dream, one may see things that may connote equilibrium or the opposite,
while his passive and inert participation urges him to examine the elements and
to awaken his consciousness. Sometimes, the elements themselves may be
opaque or unclear. In this case, if one recognizes a person in the dream, perhaps
the name of that person, or his trade, or his look, or the meaningofthe individual
letters of his name, or their combined numerological value, etcetera, mayprovide
a clue to the meaning of one’s dream.
For example: Selling grains and not seeing the return or money in a dream
means ascetic detachment, and gra itude to one’s Lord, for the real price of things
is gratitude. Castle in a dream meal. sing the vehicle oftruth. That is the origin
of the proverb: “Truth is a castle.” A, ording to eastern inner traditions, fever
represents atonement for one’s sins. Suffering one day from a feverish chill is an
atonement for three hundred and sixty-five days of sins. Death is the final phase
of practicing one’s religion in this world. Shrouding the dead after washing the
body means washing it from its impurities. In a dream, one’s enemy represents
Satan, drugs, alcohol, weaknesses, attachment to the world, sexual indulgences,
pride, arrogance, anger, perfidy,jealousy, envy, hatred, impatience, differences,
injustice, crimes, hunger, thirst, desires, loves for women, attachment to the
world, love for fame, admiring oneself, belittling others, cheating, stealing,
bigotry, fanaticism, obstinacy, narrow-mindedness, affectation, idling, cunning,
hypocrisy, ostentatiousness, blatancy, blasphemy, excessiveness, haste, dishonesty,
immodesty, trials, tribulations, distress, agony, misery, afflictions, wife,
son, brother, mistress, worldly ambitions, apostasy, loneliness, anguish, despair,
sorrows, pain, carnality, cruelty, antipathy, carelessness, selfishness, forgetting
about one’s covenant with God Almighty; etcetera, all or which are within
oneself. (See Body’)
To reach a close interpretation of one’s dream and from studying what each
element may connote, one should mostly look at the positive side first and
eliminate the negative. One should also refrain from editing his own dream, or
using other than the first words that come from his mouth, and he should search
accordingly. One also should research the possible different appellation of each
word or element. Draw a tree of words, then try to bring together a close
understanding of the dream. However, one should definitely find a man of
wisdom, or a shaikh, or a known dream interpreter to help him put together any
missing elements or even explain hidden meanings in one’s dream, when
possible.
For example, if a righteous person sees himself standing before God Almighty
in a dream, his dream means attainment of divine mercy, and receivingguidance.
If an ungodly person sees that, then his dream means a warning of a severe
punishment. God Almighty refers to: “•.•A day when all mankind will stand
before the Lord of the universes.” (Qur’iin 83:6)
One also can find solid references to dream interpretations from the Holy
Qur’an, its firm wisdom, parables, and clear meanings. For example when God
Almighty spoke of unity, He said: “And hold fast to the rope of God.” (Qur’an
3:103). When He spoke of women, He said: “As if they were delicate eggs
which are closely guarded.” (Qur’an 37:49). When He spoke of the hypocrites,
GodAlmighty said: “Worthless as hollowproppedup pieces oftimber.” (Qur’an
63:4). About kings, God Almighty says: ”When kings enter a country, they
despoil it.” (Qur’an 27:34). About backbiting, He says: ”Would any of you like
toeat the flesh ofhisdeadbrother?”(Qur’an 49:12). Other references ofwisdom
and knowledge also can be found in the saying of God’s Prophet, upon whom be
peace, when he said about women: “Be careful about the glass pitchers.” He also
said: “A woman is created from man’s rib.” Also from the sayings of Jesus son of
Mary, upon whom be peace, when he spoke of sleep using a simile saying: ”Those
who sleep in death will also be raised.” (Corinthians 15.20). About parables he
said: “I will use parables when I speak of them.” (Mark 4.34). About the parable
of the hereafter he said: “A man who is looking for fine pearls and when he finds
one that is unusually fine, he goes and sells everything he has and buys that
pearl.” (Matthew 13.45). At another time, he used a metaphor of the doctor and
the sick person in comparison with the gnostic and the sinner. He said: “The
doctor comes to heal not those who are healthy, but those who are sick.” After
the passing of God’s Prophet, upon whom be peace, Abu Huraira, God be pleased
with him, heard someone say: “The Anti-Christ is out!”Abu Huraira replied: “The
dyers are lying about the true color of their hides.” In other usage of metaphors,
similies, and synonyms, dream interpreters used the meaning of disbelief to
connote a cover-up and the meaning of forgiveness to denote veiling. When
speaking of injustice in a dream, they used the expression: “Putting things in the
wrong place”, etcetera.
Finally, if one wishes to see a true dream that will reflect his innermost being
and true state, he should go to sleep abluted, rest on his right side, then pray:
“Lord, I place mysoul in Thy Hand; I turn myface toward Thee; I entrust
my affairs to Thy command; I take refuge in Thee to protect me from all
sides. Lord, I turn wholeheartedly toward Thee, desiring Thy blessings
and fearing Thy punishment. I have no refuge to seek from Thee except
in Thee. I believe in the Book Thou revealed and the Prophet Thou sent.
Blessed Thou art in the heavens and on earth. Lord, Thou art the rich,
and we are the poor who are in need of Thy help and blessings. Lord, I
ask for Thy forgiveness, and I repent unto Thee. MyLord and Cherisher,
I ask Thee to let me see a true vision, not a false dream; a blessed and
happy vision, not a sorrowful dream and a vision that will benefit my
soul and does no harm to it.”
In the morning, when one’s wish is granted, he should praise God Almighty
and thank Him. After performing one’s dawn (Fajr) prayers, one should seek a
Shaikh to interpret and explain the meaning of his dream and, most certainly,
he should accept and comply with his views.